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Solar engineer salary
Average solar engineer salary
$77,229
Average Solar Engineer Salary
The average salary for a solar engineer is approximately $77,229 per year or $37 per hour. This figure can vary based on factors such as geographic location, experience level, and specific industry involvement. Generally, solar engineers are in high demand due to the growing emphasis on sustainable energy solutions.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level solar engineers tend to earn around $60,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $90,000. Senior roles, such as project managers or specialists, may command even higher salaries, reflecting the advanced skills and responsibilities required.
Geographic Influence
Salary levels also differ significantly based on geographical location. States like California and Texas often offer higher wages due to the concentration of renewable energy projects. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective engineers make informed decisions about their career paths.
Job Opportunities
As the renewable energy sector expands, job opportunities for solar engineers are expected to grow. Companies are increasingly seeking out skilled professionals to design, implement, and maintain solar technologies. This growth presents a promising outlook for those considering a career in this field.
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Where can a Solar Engineer earn more?
Solar engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level solar engineer | $51,500 | $24.76 |
| Mid-level solar engineer | $82,100 | $39.47 |
| Senior-level solar engineer | $121,000 | $58.36 |
Solar engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average solar engineer salary by state
The average solar engineer salary in Washington, California, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average solar engineer salary states are Indiana, Ohio, and Arizona.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for solar engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $99,734 | $47.95 |
| 2 | California | $99,697 | $47.93 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $95,660 | $45.99 |
| 4 | Virginia | $91,218 | $43.85 |
| 5 | Vermont | $87,421 | $42.03 |
| 6 | Maryland | $90,217 | $43.37 |
| 7 | Florida | $88,275 | $42.44 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $88,083 | $42.35 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $92,592 | $44.52 |
| 10 | Delaware | $84,971 | $40.85 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $85,468 | $41.09 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $86,945 | $41.80 |
| 13 | Iowa | $83,734 | $40.26 |
| 14 | Alabama | $80,902 | $38.90 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $88,748 | $42.67 |
| 16 | Texas | $83,130 | $39.97 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $87,936 | $42.28 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $81,778 | $39.32 |
| 19 | Alaska | $86,241 | $41.46 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $83,008 | $39.91 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $82,118 | $39.48 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $81,326 | $39.10 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $84,625 | $40.69 |
| 24 | Missouri | $78,653 | $37.81 |
| 25 | New York | $82,937 | $39.87 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $78,033 | $37.52 |
| 27 | Idaho | $78,922 | $37.94 |
| 28 | Maine | $75,333 | $36.22 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $74,835 | $35.98 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $71,897 | $34.57 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $78,343 | $37.66 |
| 32 | Michigan | $71,539 | $34.39 |
| 33 | Georgia | $74,952 | $36.03 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $74,531 | $35.83 |
| 35 | Kansas | $73,425 | $35.30 |
| 36 | Illinois | $75,301 | $36.20 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $73,672 | $35.42 |
| 38 | Nevada | $71,878 | $34.56 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $72,517 | $34.86 |
| 40 | Oregon | $71,881 | $34.56 |
| 41 | Arizona | $67,998 | $32.69 |
| 42 | Colorado | $67,922 | $32.65 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $71,280 | $34.27 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $69,581 | $33.45 |
| 45 | Utah | $60,938 | $29.30 |
| 46 | Ohio | $68,088 | $32.73 |
| 47 | Indiana | $68,755 | $33.06 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $68,915 | $33.13 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $70,302 | $33.80 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $68,778 | $33.07 |
| 51 | Montana | $62,076 | $29.84 |
Highest paying cities for solar engineers
The highest-paying cities for solar engineers are San Francisco, CA, Hoboken, NJ, and Worcester, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $104,720 | $50.35 |
| 2 | Hoboken, NJ | $88,031 | $42.32 |
| 3 | Worcester, MA | $85,639 | $41.17 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $83,865 | $40.32 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $83,104 | $39.95 |
| 6 | Windsor, CT | $81,777 | $39.32 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $81,291 | $39.08 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $75,405 | $36.25 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $74,889 | $36.00 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $71,771 | $34.51 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $71,661 | $34.45 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $71,291 | $34.27 |
| 13 | Gilbert, AZ | $68,050 | $32.72 |
| 14 | Lakewood, CO | $67,791 | $32.59 |
Solar engineer salary details
A solar engineer's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $111,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a solar engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $111,000 | $9,250 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $77,229 | $6,436 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying solar engineer jobs
The highest paying types of solar engineers are electrical engineer lead, senior electrical engineer, and system design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | $81,188 | $6,766 | $39.03 | 81,243 |
| Electrical Designer | $64,930 | $5,411 | $31.22 | 82,332 |
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | $92,464 | $7,705 | $44.45 | 51,065 |
| Electrical Project Engineer | $84,342 | $7,029 | $40.55 | 67,802 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Electrical Controls Engineer | $82,681 | $6,890 | $39.75 | 54,037 |
Top companies hiring solar engineers now:
Which companies pay solar engineers the most?
Solar engineer salaries at WEC Energy Group and Northrop Grumman are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average solar engineer salary at companies like Ace and Sephora are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WEC Energy Group | $110,183 | $52.97 |
| 2 | Northrop Grumman | $91,875 | $44.17 |
| 3 | Ace | $89,023 | $42.80 |
| 4 | Sephora | $87,788 | $42.21 |
| 5 | EDF | $87,742 | $42.18 |
| 6 | Florida Power and Light | $86,449 | $41.56 |
| 7 | Fortune Brands Home & Security | $78,633 | $37.80 |
| 8 | AECOM | $75,364 | $36.23 |
| 9 | Black & Veatch | $73,064 | $35.13 |
| 10 | GPAC | $73,032 | $35.11 |
| 11 | Boston Solar | $71,112 | $34.19 |
| 12 | Fisher Associates | $69,715 | $33.52 |
| 13 | Leidos | $67,864 | $32.63 |
| 14 | Tradesmen International | $67,862 | $32.63 |
| 15 | Solar.com | $65,817 | $31.64 |
| 16 | Solar Energy Solutions | $65,502 | $31.49 |
| 17 | Amergy Solar | $56,492 | $27.16 |
| 18 | Aerotek | $48,822 | $23.47 |
| 19 | PeopleReady | $41,173 | $19.79 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Solar Engineer salary by industry
The average solar engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average solar engineer salary in the utilities industry is $87,742, the highest of any industry.
- The average solar engineer salary in the finance industry is $73,195.
- Solar engineers in the construction industry earn an average salary of $69,910, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for solar engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $87,742 | $42.18 |
| 2 | Professional | $73,195 | $35.19 |
| 3 | Energy | $71,435 | $34.34 |
| 4 | Construction | $69,910 | $33.61 |
High paying solar engineer jobs
Solar engineer salary trends
The average solar engineer salary has risen by $11,420 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average solar engineer earned $65,809 annually, but today, they earn $77,229 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for solar engineers over the last decade.
Compare solar engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average solar engineer salary over time
Compare solar engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Solar engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $77,200 | $37.13 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | $75,500 | $36.28 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $74,000 | $35.59 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $72,800 | $35.00 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $72,200 | $34.69 | +1.3% |
Recently added solar engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerotek | Solar Laborer-4Th Street | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 06/24/2025 | $50,088 |
| Tradesmen International | Solar Laborer | Perryville, MD | 06/19/2025 | $52,175 |
| Moss & Associates | Solar Laborer | Arcadia, FL | 06/12/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss Construction Management | Solar Laborer | Arcadia, FL | 06/12/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss | Solar Laborer-Myakka City | Arcadia, FL | 06/11/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss & Associates | Solar Laborer | Montz, LA | 05/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss | Solar Laborer | Montz, LA | 05/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss & Associates | Solar Laborer | Gainesville, TX | 05/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss | Solar Laborer | Gainesville, TX | 05/24/2025 | $41,740 |
| Moss & Associates | Solar Laborer | Immokalee, FL | 05/22/2025 | $41,740 |
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